Electric-lamp socket.



J. s. STEWART.

ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET.

v.MlLULjAJION FILED 0CT.13,19Q9.

j Patented Feb. 14, 1911.v

j UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE. j

JAMES s. srnwnn'npr NEW YORK, N.' Y., Assrenon :ro ANNIE STEWART, or' NEW YORK, 1r. Y.

'ELECTRIC-LAMP sooner.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES S.STE\VAR1", a citizen of the United States, residing at the citr of New York. in the borough of Manhattan and State of New York, have in= vented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Lamp Sockets, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. s

My invention relates to lamp sockets of either the key or keyless type, and which are adapted to be suspended from an extension iiexible cord'or conductor, o1`- `Vused with a iixtnre'or bracket.

One ot the principal objects of the inven tion is to providea socket of stronger construction than those hitherto available both against damage by the tools and manipulation and harsh treatment to which sockets are frequently subjected' in being assembled and connected 1nV place for use, and also' against. downward pulling strains due to the weight o'tl shade and lamp and the turning strain incident to screwing and unscrewing a lamp bafseinto the socket.

A second object of the invention is to proride` a lamp socket. 'which is simpler and easier to construct than those hitherto used,

and particularly easier to assemble into opi erative relation or disassemble'. when the circuit connections are being made, changed or inspected.

T he third object. of the invention is to pr-lv adapted toxsccure the two parts in their fin'al fixed position of engagement for use. As will lauter appear; I overcome. the weaknesses of prior constructions and provide for ner'- ectly locking the parts'o both key and keyless sockets. Y

AW'ith the foregoing and various other objects in View, my invention consists in the features of construction and combination as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

- In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side eleva- Specication. of Letters Patent.,A Piltellttll Ffl). 14, 1911.

tion of my improved socket; F ig. 2 is a vertical section thereof; Fig. 3 1s av section through line .e-.r of Fig. l: Fig. 4 is a section through line 1/-3/ of Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a view-looking into the cup-shaped portion of the socket and Fig. 6 is a partial side view of the socket.

Referring to the drawings in which like parts are designated by the same reference sign. l indicates broadly the base or body and Q thc housing` or casing of a lamp socket, and which I have illustrated as of the keyless t'vpe in Figs. 1, 9., and 4. The base or body l ma)7 be constructed in any desired manner. these details not 'being any part of the present invention. except as this body or block is provided and uscd'generally or as a .whole in the combination. l strongly prefer.

however. to employ the construction of block or body 1 illustrated and comprising a generally cylindrical plug 3 of porcelain, with a square protuberance 4 at one end. f

5 designates a threaded hell with. a' flanged end face 6 having a square opening T fitting over the square protuberance 4.

9 denotes a metallic disk resting' against-fvr .the end face (j of the threaded shell and having a clip extending up on one side of the j -plug il. and 10 indicates a separate clip on the other side of the plug and extending into the'same. i] is a screw passed through a washer 12 and constituting a center contact. This screw passes upward` through the ance l into the clip 10. 14 indicates another; screw passed downward through the porcelain plug into the disk 9 and serving to secure the latter together with the threaded shell in place.

The two clips 9 and 10 constitute the circuit terminals and may be provided with The foregoing construction has-'manifold advantages. which however, constituting no direct part. of the. present invention. need 10.0

Q0 denotesa metal cup formingl the upper A1.05

part ofthe casing Q. This cup has the usual tubular nipple 2l provided with an insulating button Q2 through which the circuit' wires Q3 enter. The lower part has a flange.

fitting over thc upper end of the body 3. 110

protuber- 24 designates a cylindrical, member of the l housing, which has the usual inclined shoulder 25 itting against a square shoulder 2d y the member :24 which telescopes over the lower housing part.

-iiange 37 of the upper i housing part so that the beads may be part 20 of the housinU. `I provide a means for locking the two housing sections together both against longi-A tudinal displacement and against angular movement.

' rlwo oppositezquarters of the rim 27 are cut. awaiv as indicated at 27. The intervening up-standing portions 28 are beaded to form an interior groove 29.

30 denote elongated ribs or beads embossed or formed on the outer surface of the rim 37 of the upper housing part 20. These beads should be located some distance 'up from the lower edge on the upper housing par-t rather than directly at the edge.

With the foregoing construction the lower housing part may be slipped over the upper passed down into the cut away parts 2T ofthe If thenthe twofp'irts -are given 1a relative angular movement of about a quarter turn, each bead will be received in a corresponding groove there` by lockingthe two parts against any longitudinal relative movement.

31 denotes abail or Ussha'ped spring clip riveted or fixed within the upper housing part 20, so that its two free extremities extend downward onA diainetrically 'opposite sides.v At their lower eiids'these extremities are embossed or bent' outwa rdl}1 and then iii-' 4wardly so as to present a rounding contour at the points where Ythey bear toward the interior wall of the upper their spring pressure. At these points how- A' ever the upper housing part is perforated with holes 33 through which the protuberances o1" the spring clips propect. 35 designate corresponding holes or. openings within the lower housing part and these latter holes are soloeated that when the lower housing part has been pressed over the upper housing part and engaged by ar quarter turn movement inthe manner already described, the holes will come into. registry with the protuberances of'thc spring clips, and these will then snap outward until they are projected through the now aliiied openings of the upper and lower housings. Thel prot-uberances thus become a lock against the angular movement that. is-required to release the bead and groove connection and prevents the relative turning of the upper and lower arts of the shell when a lamp is screwe into the socket. To prevent the turning of the block or body S when tho lamp is screwed in. said body is provided with grooves'A 40 into which -embossings on the flange 37 of part. '20 {-t.

housing part withl 4l 1 This result might also be accomplished by iuilizingfthe grooves in the bleek. occupied bythe ends oi the spring clips 31. Thus it will be seen that n'opart of a keyless socket can Arotate when t-lie lamp is inserted 4if the protuberanccs are in the alined holes of Vthe two parts ofthe casing. Inkey sockets no extra means are required to prevent 'the porcelain body from vturning ,inside of the casingy because the key which' is carried by thebodyA projectsthrough a slot 36 {Fifn 6) in the casing and prevents the relative turning of these parts. This slotcan also be used to receive the embossed' c nd of the spring clip 31 and' thus partially close the objectionable oriiee which would otherwise appear. I'n order to disengage the parts, it is merely necessary 'tc press the fingers on the projected protuberances of the'springr clip 31 which are accessible for this purpose through alined holes of the upper and lower housing parts, and then gire the'two housing parts a quarter turn with respect to each other, after which they are freely separable.

=It will be evident without necessity for detail recapitulatiou. that the advantages mentioned inthe preliminary part of the dei scription are attained by the foregoing embodiment of the invention.

iVhat I claim, is:-i A LA lampfsocket comprising a base or body, upper and lower metallic housing parts, the lower housing part -telescoping over the upper housing part, atongue and groove engagement between said partsv for locking them` against relative longitudinal movement, and a U-s'haped spring clip having protuberanees at itsextieniities coperating with said parts to lock relative angular movement.

9.. A lamp socket comprisingr a base or body, upper and lower metallic housing parts, the lower housing part telescoping with the upper housing` part. one of said housing parts havingeut. away and intermediate upslandin; l portions with interior eipiatorial grooves.

them against `fer said grooves, and means for locking said upper and lower housing parts against angular movement. y

3. A lamp socket comprising a base or and the other of said. housingl parts having beads adapted to enl'OO body, upper and lower metallic housing arts, the lower housing part telescoping with the upper housing part, one o f said housing parts having cut away and intermediate up-standin'g portions willi interior equatorial grooves; and the other of said housing parts having` beads adapted to enter said grooves, and a spring for locking said upper and lower housing parts against relative angular movement.

4. A lamp socket comprising a cup-shaped upper housing part having ixed thereto an interior spring clipwithv a rounded. pro

iubernnce,-saicl part having an openin into which smd protuberance projeetsfa ower heusing pau-t having :1n equatorial. groove' und tongue engagement with the upper housing pn 1t und telescoping over the latter, and having an opening adapted to register with said protuberance.

1A lmnp socket comprising ar base or body having a keyg'upper and lower metallic parts, the lower metalliepart teleseopng over' the upperl metallic part, said lower 

